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Egypt's ex-president Mubarak denies corruption allegations (UPDATE)

Arab World Materials 10 April 2011 20:15 (UTC +04:00)

Details added (first version posted at 19:54)

Former Egyptian president Hosny Mubarak on Sunday denied having assets abroad and pledged full cooperation with authorities, as protesters remained in central Cairo demanding a speedy trial for him and his aides.

In the first public comments he has made since his ouster, Mubarak said that the allegations against him were unfounded, dpa reported.

In an audio message aired on Al Arabiya, he said he and his wife Suzanne would agree to any measures taken to reveal any bank assets or real estate he owns abroad.

Mubarak said he only has accounts in one Egyptian bank.

Egypt has slapped a travel ban on Mubarak, his wife and children while allegations of embezzlement are investigated.

Attorney General Abdel Meguid Mahmoud ordered the country's Foreign Ministry to negotiate with foreign powers on freezing the international assets of Mubarak's family.

"I waited over the past weeks for the truth to come to the attorney general from across the world," said Mubarak.

He said that assets belonging to his two sons, Alaa and Gamal, were not related to "profiteering or an abuse of power."

Mubarak also vowed to sue those who defame him and his family.

It was not clear how Al Arabiya got the message, which was recorded on Saturday in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, according to the Dubai-based broadcaster.

Mubarak stepped down on February 11 following an 18-day uprising across the country. He and his family are reportedly under house arrest in a sprawling compound, following a travel ban and a court order that their assets be frozen.

Tight security has been imposed at the entrances and exits of South Sinai province, where the current residence of Mubarak is located, a security source told the German Press Agency dpa Sunday.

Measures were taken in response to calls during Friday's rally to protest at Mubarak's residence.

The former president is believed to have amassed a huge fortune during his nearly 30 years in power. His wealth, according to some estimates published in international media, might be over 40 billion dollars and includes properties in London, New York and Los Angeles.

Mubarak's audio message came as hundreds of demonstrators remained in central Cairo's Tahrir square, despite efforts by the country's military rulers to appease protesters.

The square was sealed with barbed wire which protesters used to barricade themselves and block entrance to the square.

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which had been running the country after Mubarak, said Saturday evening it would replace some provincial governors appointed by the ousted president.

The move is an overture to protesters who are demanding a speedy trial for Mubarak and his aides for allegedly pocketing the equivalent of billions of dollars of state money during decades of power.

Protesters returned to the square, which had been the focal point of an 18-day uprising earlier this year, after clashes with army forces left at least one dead and 71 injured in the early hours of Saturday.

Following the clashes, thousands demonstrated against Marshall Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, who is the minister of defence and also the head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.

Clashes had erupted early Saturday as the army tried to disperse thousands who remained in the square after Friday's mass rally, demanding a speedy trial for ousted president Mubarak and senior leaders accused of corruption.

The confrontation was the first to lead to deaths since Mubarak resigned. The army was welcomed warmly when it replaced police forces during the 18-day uprising that began on January 25.

Many had praised the military for refusing to fire on protesters, and welcomed the army for stepping in to rule.

But tensions have grown as protesters expressed their anger at the country's new military rulers for a lack of transparency and slow decision-making.

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